Washbasin.



J. HARTNESS. WASHBASIN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18,1907.

9?L@39 Patented. Oct. 4, 1910.

rm: NORRIS FETERs co., WASHINGTON, n. c

nip.

JAMES HAR'INESS, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT.

WASHBASIN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HARrNnss, of Springfield, in the county ofWindsor and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in WVashbasins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to obviate the use of overflowconduits or ducts which have heretofore been employed in wash basins,sinks, bath tubs and the like, and at the same time to provide for anoutflow of the contents of the bowl when the water reaches apredetermined level therein. It is well known to bacteriologists andsanitarians that such overflow conduits or ducts afford lodgment forgerms and microbes and are generally foul with waste material.

According to my present invention, I dispense with the overflow conduitsand ducts and provide but a single outlet through which the water mustpass when it is dis charged, and through which the water will pass whenit reaches a predetermined level or height in the bowl, all without anyadditional opening for the discharge into the at mosphere of the foulair contained in the dead end between the trap and the bowl.

The principle, upon which the invention operates, is that of balancing acolumn of trapped air between two columns of water,

one in the trap and one in the bowl so that, when the column of water(in the bowl) on one side of the air column is suilicient to force thecolumn of air downward and lift the other column of water (in the trap),the water in the bowl will be discharged.

The invention consists, therefore, of a primary or permanent trapadapted to hold a column of water of an altitude substantially equal tothe maximum altitude of the water in the bowl, and an intermediatedrainable trap which comprises an air chamber adapted to contain acolumn of air equal to or not less than the column of water in the inletlimb of the permanent trap. The intermediate trap, as stated, isdrainable, this being accomplished by the employment of a movable trapmember which may be the discharge limb of said trap, and which will bedislocatable or movable so as to allow the contents of the said trap todrain out. For economy in space and for maximum elliciency, theintermediate trap is shallow and is located below the horizontal planeof the bottom of the bowl, both traps being exterior of the bowl.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 18, 1907.

Patented Get. a, 1910.

Serial No. 368,866.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in section awash basin embodying the invent-ion, the water being shown at the normallevel in the permanent trap. Fig. 2 represents a similar view and showsthe water at its various levels in the bowl, the permanent trap and theintermediate trap at about the same time when the water will bedischarged from the bowl. Fig. 3 represents a vertical transversesection through the intermediate trap.

On the drawings, the bowl is indicated at 64, its discharge port isindicated at b, and it is formed with a downwardly extending thimble c,the upper part of which is pro vided with a strainer 0. (Z indicates thehouse connection or soil pipe, between which and the bowl an outletdevice comprising my invention is interposed. The said device comprisesa permanent trap e and an intermediate drainable trap f. The permanenttrap c is U-shaped, its inner and outer or inlet and discharge limbsbeing indicated at e e respectively. The length of the limb 6 determinesthe height of the column of water in the bowl, as will be explained. Theintermediate drainable trap consists of a closed casing in which thereis an air chamber whose volume is not less than the volume in the inletlimb c of the permanent trap. This casing is elongated and is arrangedhorizontally, being placed below the plane of the bottom of the bowl.Into the inner end of said casing projects the dependent thimble 0 therebeing a web or partition f which forms the inlet limb f of theintermediate trap. Located in the chamber is a stand-pipe or movabletrap member arranged above the inlet limb e of the permanent trap c, andforming the outlet limb of the intermediate trap. It is adapted to bedislocated for the purpose of draining the intermediate trap and to thisend it is conveniently formed to be seated in a valve seat 0 at theupper end of the limb c; It is guided by a guide f which holds itagainst lateral movement. When the stand-pipe or discharge limb f of theintermediate trap is on its seat, as shown in Fig. 1, the intermediatetrap is operative as such. The rod 9 extends upwardly through a cap 9screwed into an opening in the upper wall of the trap, and on its lowerend it has a head 9 by which it may be engaged with a spider g securedto the upper end of the standpipe or limb i The upper end of the rod 9extends through the upper surface a of the basin, and is provided with ahandle 9* by which it may be raised so as to lift the limb f and permitthe intermediate trap to drain.

The operation is as follows: Assuming that there is water in thepermanent trap, as indicated in Fig. 1, and that water is being admittedto the bowl, the discharge of the water from the bowl will, as soon asthe level of the water in the intermediate trap is above the lower endof the inlet limb f thereof, trap air in said intermediate trap. As thewater continues to flow from the bowl, the air in the air chamber in theintermediate trap will be forced by the incoming wate outward anddownward through the limbs f and 6. This will continue until there is inthe primary trap a column of water in the limb e balanced by the columnof air in the limb e. The level of the water in the intermediate traphas in the meantime been raised, and the height of the column of waterin the bowl above the level of the water in the intermediate trap willbe equal to the height of the column of water in the limb 6 measuringfrom the level of the water in the limb of said permanent trap. Theheight of the water column in the bowl is measured from the level of thewater in the secondary trap (see dotted line X Fig. 2), and is equal tothe distance between the water levels in the inlet and outlet limbs ofthe permanent trap (see dotted line Y same figure). By refer ence toFig. 2, it will be seen that the levels of the water are at theirmaximum heights. It the water is being admitted to the bowl slowly, thecolumn of water in the bowl will remain at the height indicated, and theadditional water admitted to the intermediate trap will flow downthrough the movable trap member to the inlet limb of the permanent trapwithout upsetting the balance. But, if the water is admitted to the bowlso rapidly that the water flowing through the limb c carries outsufiicient air contained therein to destroy the balance, then the entirecontents of the bowl will be discharged. Ordinarily the contents of thebowl will be discharged by dislocating the movable member of theintermediate trap, 2'. 0. by lifting the rod 9 so as to raise the limbor standpipe f so that the water may flow from the intermediate trapdirectly into the open end of the limb e of the permanent trap. The rodis maintained in its raised position until the water is discharged fromthe intermediate trap, and the latter has received a full air supply.Any of the ordinary means may be utilized for holding the rod 9 in itsraised position.

It may be pointed out that it is essential that. the air chamber in theintermediate trap should normally, when the basin is not in use, haveits proper air supply, which may be trapped when the basin is next used,so as to afi'ord the volume of air necessary to counterbalance thecolumn of water in the permanent trap and the column of water in thebowl, and moreover, that this air may be admitted to the inlet end ofthe permanent trap. If air were not admitted to the intermediate trapafter the bowl had been flushed, there would not be present in the trapsuflicient air to balance the column of water in the discharge limb e ofthe permanent trap and cause the water to rise in the bowl. Thepermanent trap is provided with the usual air vent a. It is quiteapparent that the invention is not limited to the particular details ofconstruction which I have illustrated and described, since variouschanges may be made in the discharge device without departing t'rom thespirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention, and described away of constructing and using the same, although without attempting toset forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modesof its use, I declare that what I claim is:

l. The combination with a bowl, and a permanent trap whose limbs are notless in altitude than the desired maximum water column in the bowl, ofan intermediate drainable trap having an air chamber whose volume is notless than the volume of the inlet limb of the permanent trap, said trapcomprising a fixed air containing chamber, and a displaeeable trapmember movable relatively to said chamber.

2. The combination with a bowl, and a permanent trap whose limbs are notless in altitude than the desired maximum water column in the bowl, ofan intermediate trap located below the horizontal plane of the bottom ofthe bowl and having a fixed air chamber whose volume is not less thanthevolume of the inlet limb of the permanent trap, and means movablerelatively to said chamber, permitting the drainage of said intermediatetrap.

3. The combination with a bowl, and a permanent trap whose limbs are notless in altitude than the desired maximum water column in the bowl, ofan intermediate trap having a fixed air chamber communicating with theinlet limb of the permanent trap to balance a column of water of maximumheight in the outlet limb of said permanent trap; and also having amanually control-led trap member movable relatively to said chamher forpermitting the drainage of said intermediate trap, and through which theoverflow discharge takes place when the water rises above the maximumlevel in the bowl.

4. The combination with a bowl, and a permanent trap whose limbs are notless in altitude than the desired maximum water column in the bowl, ofan intermediate trap arranged below the horizontal plane of the bottomof the bowl and having inlet and outlet limbs and an immovable airchamber of sufiicient Volume, in consequence of which air will betrapped therein, substantially for the purpose set forth, and means fordislocating said outlet limb relatively to the walls of said chamber topermit the escape of substantially all liquid from said air chamber.

5. The combination with a bowl and a permanent trap, of an intermediatetrap,

consisting of a fixed closed casing having oppositely extendingseparated limbs, one communicating with the bowl and the other with theinlet limb of the permanent trap, and means for dislocating saidsecond-mew tioned limb of said intermediate trap to permit the escape ofwater from said trap.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

JAMES I-IARTNESS. Witnesses J. W. BENNETT, lWLiRoUs B. MAY.

